The Google office in Stockholm is the successful result of merging three smaller Google offices from different locations across Sweden and Norway into one large combined hub for Engineering, Sales and Marketing departments.

Emphasise local identity

The necessity to create one space, that would fulfil and satisfy the needs of each user group, an office that would be communicative and enjoyable to work in for all Googlers and additionally be able to create a local identity for the Stockholm employees, was the main challenge developing this new Google Home. An involvement of the users themselves at an early stage of the design of the project, granted essential insight into the emotional and practical requirements of the Googlers, provided open collaboration, unique perspectives and ideas, and at the same time supplied the local Googlers with a direct sense of ownership of the future office.

Research showed that the local Googlers, despite being part of a constantly growing global company, emphasised the importance of individuality and maintaining a small-company ambience with a strong Swedish identity. As they participated in the design process to define and create their own local identity, the analysis of the users feedback demonstrated that Sweden with its rural landscapes and the city of Stockholm was of major importance to the definition of their identity.

Private and comfortable workspace

The diversity of the different backgrounds and personalities required a multi-facetted approach with the creation of different office ‘landscapes’ that would support the Googlers in their work and well-being: As a result of the research, the Engineering part of the office was created representing the Swedish ‘countryside’ with a more private workspace layout and a comfortable and warm choice of materials and finishes. On the other side of the office floor, a colourful and lively open-plan space representing the Stockholm cityscape was developed for the Marketing and Sales teams. Connecting those two different landscapes is the Cafeteria, designed as a ‘Town Market Square’, acting as a meeting point to promote communication and recreation.

On a different level, the local identity of the office was further accentuated by naming and designing all meeting rooms with different Swedish inventors / inventions in mind, creating a diverse range of rooms with different designs, sizes and atmospheres, suitable for broad span of meeting requirements.